Chinese frame geometry question?

dieselgeezer

Looking at the Hongfu & Dengfu websites. It would seem that neither offer a more "sportive" frame, ie one with a slightly longer head tube. Looking at 560 top tube frames & the longest HT is 170mm. Could do with one that's 180 to 185.
Anyone know if they exist?

bontie

Spacers?
If you are looking for a "Sportive fit" I am sure running a stack of spacers shouldn't be a problem

dieselgeezer

I need spacers + a slightly longer head tube. Just seems strange in this age of sportive frenzy that I can't find any of the Chinese firms that are making them; they're obviously making them for branded companies.

bontie

Care to name them?

I really do not want this to become another Chinese carbon thread, BUT Hongfu and Dengfu do not make frames for the so-called big names. People assuming a *insert frame of choice* copy/fake from one of these is the same as a real *insert frame of choice* is making a big mistake.
They may be perfectly usable and ride like a bike, but they are not the same.

of course I am not talking about a few brands who buy Chinese frames and give them a coat of paint. I am referring to the likes of Scott,Cervelo,Time, Canyon etc...

cycleclinic

Some of the chinese firms that sell online direct source from factories that do produce for some big brands. some Derosa frames are open mould. Just becuase it is made in china does not mean it is inferior in some way as saying riding like a bike implies. All columbus carbon kit is made in china, as is alot of deda (as far as I know). Many taiwanese manufacturers actually have factories in china.

As for a frame with 185mm headtube, then I don't think you will find one from china. You are really after an audax bike, like the tifosi CK2 the large has a 180mm headtube, not cheap though.

bontie

Agreed, re Columbus and Deda, and many others.
Its a minefield though. Quite few of the Italian big brands "rebrand" frames made by Deda in the East.

Ribble Stealth and De Rosa R838 is a good example
A few years ago there was a Deda Black Pearl frame which was sold by Guerciotti, Ciocc and others.

One has to distinguish between these and purposely designed and made frames by the larger bike brands. A comment from a club forum recently went like this :

" I got my frame at last, but I am not sure which one exactly it is"
Reply came - "It looks like a Scott Foil, without the decals, amazing how much money you just saved!"

This notion is clearly wrong.

Not faulting Chinese manufacture though - some very good quality products come form China, but the price usually tells.

Grill

thecycleclinic wrote:

Some of the chinese firms that sell online direct source from factories that do produce for some big brands. some Derosa frames are open mould. Just becuase it is made in china does not mean it is inferior in some way as saying riding like a bike implies. All columbus carbon kit is made in china, as is alot of deda (as far as I know). Many taiwanese manufacturers actually have factories in china.

As for a frame with 185mm headtube, then I don't think you will find one from china. You are really after an audax bike, like the tifosi CK2 the large has a 180mm headtube, not cheap though.

The problem with this line of thinking is that even if the moulds are the same (either by virtue of being made in the same factory or copied by an employee of the actual fab) the grade of carbon, layup, and QC process isn't the same. Basically a copy is not the same as a facsimile.